And although they dominated possession in the second half, they didn’t have enough quality in the final third to carve out the clear-cut openings.

Mansfield goalkeeper Brian Jensen had very little to do over the course of the afternoon, with the visitors keeping Pompey at arm’s length with a disciplined defensive display.

However, opposite number Brian Murphy has even less to do.

But the real disappointment to Paul Cook will be how little his side created in terms of goalscoring chances.

The closest they came was a Ben Davies shot, which Jensen tipped over the crossbar as the Pompey right-back had an excellent game.

And Conor Chaplin also had an opportunity after coming on as substitute, seeing his shot deflected wide.

But despite Pompey flying high and remaining in second place in the League Two table, it is now four consecutive home games without a win as they continue to struggle to find a way to break down stubborn opponents.